righteous, and imbolden others in iniquity. The professor of religion, who doth not abound "with the fruits of righteousness to the glory and praise of God," is a real dishonor by his barrenness; as we conclude that there must be a defect either in the soil or climate, or some other circumstance, when the tree stands from season to season without bearing any fruit.

"And he answering said, lord, let it alone this year also." These words express the unfeigned grief of the "vine-dresser" upon hearing the doom that was denounced against this tree, and his intercession that it might be spared for another experiment. "Let it alone;" overlook the circumstance of its barrenness; afford it a spot in thy vineyard until another season of bearing; peradventure it will disappoint thy fears and reward thy patience with abundant fruit. The faithful shepherd is peculiarly anxious for the welfare of his flock; a concern for the interest of his master constrains him to watch with unwearied care that none of them should perish; a humane physician feels for the patient under his direction; he sympathizes with him in distress, and uses every probable means for restoring him to health; the bowels of a tender mother move towards a beloved child in jeopardy of its life; how eagerly would she snatch it from the brink of some fathomless gulph or the fury of a devouring flame; but incomparably more anxious is the humane, conscientious

to his care.

pastor for the salvation of souls committed "He watches over them" not only as "one who must give account" to God for his fidelity, but as one who really pities their delusion, and secretly recoils at the thought of their destruction.-With unfeigned sincerity he can appropriate the language of the prophet, "I have not desired the evil day thou knowest. The priests, the ministers of the Lord" are commanded "to weep between the porch and the altar, and say, spare my people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach."

"Till I shall dig around it and dung it." Till I examine its roots to discover what can be the particular cause of its defect, and try other methods for restoring it to fruitfulness. The vine-dresser was willing to persevere year after year in cultivating this tree, and try experiment after experiment. to see if it could not be rendered profitable to the husbandman. The ambassador of Jesus will" reprove and rebuke and exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." Former disappointments will only excite him to greater diligence and importunity in time to come. Although "the bones in the valley are many and very dry," yet he will continue to "prophecy;" he will earnestly expostulate, "O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord," encouraged by a PERADVENTURE that the breath may yet enter and they become spiritually alive. "I endure alt things for the elect's sake that they may ob

tain salvation which is in Christ Jesus with everlasting glory." No fatigue, no reproach, or poverty is regarded, while there remains a probability, even a possibility that they may repent and be saved. When he contemplates the immense value of the human soul; when he realizes its inconceivable capacity of happiness in the enjoyment of Jehovah, or misery under the pressure of his wrath; when he looks forward in imagination through the lapse of myriads of ages and views it as either approaching nearer to God in a perfection of bliss, or sinking deeper in the gulph of perdition, when these things are duly realized, the pastor will be ready to exclaim of each hearer, "how shall I give thee up?" "How shall I cease to instruct and exhort and admonish? I cannot deliver thee up to thy present ignorance, or obstinacy, or sensuality with the belief that thou shouldst fall a prey to the second death and the damnation of hell. "I could wish that myself were accursed* from Christ for

*Few passages of scripture are attended with more difficulty than this, and there are few in the explication of which the ingenuity of the learned has been more exercised. But amidst the variety of opinion entertained by commentators, none appears more simple in itself, nor more agreeable to the analogy of faith than that of the profound Dr. Waterland.-The Greek preposition which is generally rendered from, he translates after the example of Christ. The meaning of the apostle, in wishing himself accursed from Christ, appears evidently to be the following. “I could cheerfully be considered the off-scouring of all things;" I could submit to any reproach or torture which the rage of per secution might invent or inflict; nay, in conformity to the examble of my adorable Lord, I am ready to offer up my body to the ignominious, agonizing death of the cross could I only be the in strument of salvation to my brethren the Jews; could I only res

my brethren; I could submit to any suffering either outward or inward for a time could I only be instrumental in rescuing them from the "vengeance of eternal fire." "If it bear fruit, well." "If these means should be crowned with success, and this tree which has long stood barren should at length become useful, the issue would be happy indeed; thy design in planting it here at first and sparing it so long would be answered; the tree itself would be preserved from the reproach of present barrenness and future destruction, and all my anxiety respecting it, all my toil in digging about it, in pruning and cultivating it would be infinitely rewarded its fruitfulness hereafter might in some measure compensate for all the injury which it has occasioned to thy vineyard by its barrenness in years past." The conversion of a sinner to the living God is an event inconceivably desirable. Thereby glory redounds to each Person in Jehovah, joy is afforded to blessed angels and men, and a foundation is laid for his own happiness through the endless ages of eternity.

cue them from their present delusion, and that ruin which infallibly awaits their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah." Such is the translation which that ingenious divine gives to the same preposition in another instance. Whom I serve from, that is, "after the manner or example of" my forefathers. We can by no means suppose that the apostle wished himself to be an eternal outcast from the gracious presence of his Redeemer. This is directly repugnant to that principle of self-love which necessarily belonged to him as a man and a christian; a principle which christianity does not extinguish but cherishes. Although we are commanded to love our "neighbors as ourselves," neither reason, nor revelation requires us to love our neighbor better than ourselves.

"He that converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." The conversion of an aged sinner is, in a certain sense, still more desirable; the fears of the righteous are thereby disappointed; the toils, and tears, and anxieties of godly ministers are amply rewarded; the artifices and powers of hell are baffled, and the glories of free grace most illustriously displayed. The forbearance of God is manifested in sparing the sinner so long; his sovereignty in calling him at "the eleventh hour;" his power in "casting the devil from a strong hold" which he had long and securely occupied, also in destroying the force of corruption which had strengthened with age; the overflowing of his grace in giving a free, a full remission of sins aggravated in their nature and multiplied in their number, in snatching the sinner when tottering on the very verge of hell and "setting him among princes, even the princes of his people. Howbeit, for this cause I obtained mercy," says the apostle alluding to his advanced age when called by divine grace, and to the impieties of his former life, "that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them that should afterwards believe on him to life everlasting."

"If not then after that thou shalt cut it down." "If notwithstanding thy patience in sparing it from year to year, and all the means which by thy direction I have em